electric

Peugeot 106 Electrique (1995)

This little electric car was made in the mid-90s. It offered a 20-kW electric motor and 11-kWh NiCd battery that provided range about 80-100 km. This particular vehicle was recently upgraded with a 3-phase on-board AC charger (up to 12kW) and a BMW i3 Li-Ion battery offering 28 kWh of usable energy and range about 200-250 km per charge.

It is fascinating how much the technology evolved. Peugeot 106 had top speed just 90 km/h and although its motor offered up to 20 kW of power, you should not exceed 11 kW for a longer period. Otherwise you could damage the motor.

Drive mode selector is implemented the simplest way I’ve ever seen. There is no Parking or Neutral mode. You just have a button in the center console that switches between going forward and backward.